19928Re: [webanalytics] Re: Why do we still need Omniture?

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Ross

Oct 31, 2008

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I couldnt resist! At some point in your career you will come to know that analytics inevitably becomes custom software development. Yes. I am with matt on this one, I used indextools 4 years ago and did some pretty interesting data integration pieces. I am very much interested in seeing what yahoo will do with it. If i was to take a serious look at ga for anything beyond a stopgap or a secondary solution, I'd have to see capabilities around that.

Mind you, many of my clients use ga and we happily support it, but as an industry analyst driving profits/solutions for my clients and my business? Ga as the product it is today, would not be enough.

That being said, by all means, use the right tool for the right job.
Introduce them to analytics by any means necessary. Better to be data wise than data poor.

Couple of things, top of my head, but certainly not complete:
- custom metrics: way better than the single user variable offered by
GA (and you can apply some rules on them, like duration, data type, etc.)
- calculated metrics: build new composite metrics
- export AND import API (GA API only allow you to download, not upload
your data)
- advanced dashboarding: create multiple dashboards, with advanced
widgets, share them, etc.
- collaboration features: annotations, forums, share bookmarks, share
calculated metrics, dashboards, etc.
- integration with dozens of partners through Genesis, including
emails services, surveys, behavioral targeting, MVT, call centers
data, name it...
- Excel plugin (get real... who doesn't use Excel?)
- suite integration with Survey, Test & Target, internal Search, etc.
- Discover is a very powerful BI & visualization tool
- very powerful campaign management tool called SearchCenter
- Datawarehouse feature (raw data queries, also import your own data)
- ASI filters (apply logic before data is being processed)
- more powerful conversion funnels/pathing rules
- outstanding documentation, training material, knowledge base
- ok, some people complain about support, but it is generally very
good (and for that matter, with GA you have to rely on independent
consulting agencies... you could do the same for Omniture if you like!)

As much as I love Google Analytics, and with all due respect for
Avinash and the whole team at Google, I think GA is a good tool, but
those who can't understand the huge gap between it and a high end
solution such as SiteCatalyst are missing a big piece of the puzzle.
It's amazing the number of "pros" of web analytics who have emerged in
the last 6 to 12 months because they suddenly discovered web analytics
and have installed GA on their own site. And almost reminds me of the
early days of the web, when anyone who could say what HTML stands for
was a genius...

However, I must admit it was already difficult to convince managers
that "free" shouldn't be the 1st criteria when choosing a solution. I
guess it will be even harder now!

I have no commercial interests either in Google Analytics or Omniture
SiteCatalyst, nor Coremetrics, Webtrends, Yahoo! Analytics, AT
Internet Xiti, and about 100 other tools... When consulting, I speak
fluent "web analytics" regardless of the tool, and heck! I have even
implemented and used most of them! :)

As a web analytics professional interested in education, market
research and R&D with WASP, I take great care of being independent and
unbiased.

--- In webanalytics@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Holstein" <paul@...> wrote:
>
> OK, this question was bound to come up. Given Eric Peterson's recent
> post at Webanalyticsdemystified.com, it seams to me that Omniture had
> better get ready to answer this question with conviction.
>
> I'll get things started by saying that Omniture provides near real time
> metrics. GA doesn't.
>
> So what do you think? Let's hear it.
>